This invention relates to an aeration nozzle and in particular to an aeration nozzle for use on a drinking fountain.
The common aeration nozzle used on drinking fountains and bubblers is metallic and presents a significant hazard to users, particularly children. Substantial injury can occur when one falls or is pushed, impacting the metal fountain nozzle, since the impact can result in breaking or chipping one's teeth and cutting and bruising one's mouth and face. Despite this hazard, there have been no significant replacements or substitutes for the ubiquitous metallic bubbler.
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,253,600, there is disclosed a covering formed of rubber and the like to be placed over a non-aerating nozzle to provide protection to users. The cover has small diameter apertures for discharge of water which, it is disclosed, expands the covering, presumably forming a protective cushion between the underlying hard metal fountain head and the cover. This structure will not provide adequate impact absorption and, furthermore, is non-hygenic since there is inadequate provision for draining of water which can be trapped between the cover and the metallic fountain head. The same patent also discloses a hollow-form bulbous head formed of plastic. The structure, however, does not provide for dispensing of an aerated stream of water and, furthermore, a hollow-form structure does not provide adequate impact absorbing property.